With the EU stopping all natural gas, neighboring nations refusing air and sea traffic, US closing and seizing billions from oligarchs,,,,,,,,,,,,,Panama chooses to hide behind the archaic neutrality treaty. EVEN Switzerland chose a side. Panama is run by it’s own oligarchy and it’s high time people know it. As a vet, I’m getting charged back up again and am going to shine a light on the BULLSHIT that has been, does now, and will continue to occur as long as a small group of people look after their own self interests. 

https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/220304/canal-panama-ratifica-neutralidad-frente-guerra-ucrania

The Panama Canal ratified this Thursday its neutrality in the face of the war in Ukraine, and stated that it will analyze the possible impact that the Russian invasion of that country may have on world maritime trade and, consequently, on the income of the road.

The Neutrality Treaty signed in 1977 establishes in Article I that “the Panama Canal is a permanently neutral international transit waterway,” his administration recalled in a brief public statement.

“In this treaty, the neutrality of the Panama Canal is declared so that, both in times of peace and in times of war, it remains safe and open for the peaceful transit of ships from all nations on terms of complete equality,” he added. .

The Panama Canal, through which 3.5% of world trade that moves by sea passes, connects more than 140 maritime routes and 1,700 ports in 160 countries.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has generated a wave of political and economic measures against Moscow, and a small group of Ukrainians in Panama asked the Central American country on Wednesday to join those international sanctions by denying the passage of Russian ships through the canal or closing the passage to capitals coming from that country.

Economic and financial sanctions against Russia have boosted oil and gas prices and sparked fears about global aluminum supplies, at a time of rising inflation in many countries around the world.

The Canal stated that it “will closely monitor and analyze the impacts that this situation (of armed conflict) could have in the short and long term on the global maritime trade supply chain, as well as on the tonnage, transits and revenues of the interoceanic route.

Fiscal year 2021 was “exceptional” for the Canal, with a record 516.7 million tons transited, 8.7% more than the previous year and 10% above 2019, said last October the administrator of the road, Ricaurte Vásquez, who foresaw a more moderate growth for 2022.

On December 16, the interoceanic highway delivered more than 2,080 million dollars to the Panamanian State, a record contribution corresponding to the year 2021. By 2022 it expects to contribute 2,497.2 million dollars, according to the budget approved by Parliament.